


The Trials of Thomas Raith

by akelios



Category: Dresden Files - Jim Butcher
Genre: Cockblocking, F/M, Humour, Kinkmeme, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-16
Updated: 2011-02-16
Packaged: 2017-10-31 16:03:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/345951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akelios/pseuds/akelios
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thomas is just trying to look out for his baby brother. Unfortunately the job involves a lot of running around, keeping Harry from ever getting laid.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Trials of Thomas Raith

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a 5+1 prompt on the DFKM: 'Five times Thomas chased off Harry's potential boy/girl-friend, and one boy/girl-friend he missed.'

I.

Harry had no idea what life in a big city was like. He'd been isolated out in the middle of who the fuck knew where with one of those old guys from the Council and then just moved to the city with a duffel bag full of clothes and an attitude.

So I had to watch out for him. I mean, who knew what sort of trouble a kid like him would trip into? He kept his head down for the first couple of weeks. Worked odd jobs here and there. The thing at the Burger King only lasted two days. Then he blew out the freezer somehow. They didn't fire him. Who would think the scrawny guy working the fryer blew out the freezer by looking at it wrong? But he quit. Guess he felt guilty about it.

The next job's where the trouble started.

He was working at some low-rent PI agency during the day. Filing mostly, and answering the phones. Which was hysterical, when you really thought about it. But the problem, the real problem was his boss.

Not a bad guy, I guess, but not someone Harry needed to be getting tangled up with in a more than professional sense. Only Harry didn't know that. And Harry was naive enough that he didn't notice the hints his boss was laying out.

The bump of hips as he walked by, fingers brushing over the back of a hand, lingering too long for just passing a file. The smiles, sitting on the edge of the desk. Buying him lunch because he 'didn't eat enough'. Gak. Classic, classic moves. And proof that this Nick guy wasn't classy enough for my brother.

I waited until one night after Harry had left, but Nick was still sitting in his office typing up a report for a client. He'd learned early on that asking Harry to type up anything was more expensive than he could afford. The guy was clued in, a little, about the real world, but he couldn't use magic to save his life. He went out for dinner about seven and I let myself in. All it took was my little lock picking kit and some stealth. I had that in spades. Then I waited.

I figured, for a guy like this, the classics would work best. When he came back I was sitting behind his desk in the dark, feet up on a pile of his paperwork, the goose-neck lamp aimed at the door. When he stepped through into his office I flicked it on, blinding him.

Nick Christian shouted, startled, and went for his gun. I shot across the room and twisted his arm, causing him just enough pain that he dropped the weapon. I scooped it out of the air and zipped back to his chair.

"Mr. Christian," I tapped the barrel of the gun against my knee, "please have a seat."

"Who the hell're you? Get out of my office!"

"Mr. Christian. Please. I just want to have a civil conversation with you. There's no reason for this to grow...unpleasant." I rolled the last word out, as if I were savoring it. The scruffy man gulped and dropped into one of his own guest chairs. Coward. More proof he wouldn't be good for Harry.

"Thank you. Now then, I'd like to discuss the young man you have working in your front office."

"Dresden? What's he got to-" I held up a hand. It happened to be the hand with the gun, so even with the light in his eyes he saw it and stopped.

"Let's just say that this young man is...attached. Harry doesn't like feeling kept, so he takes it into his head to work the odd job now and again. His benefactor indulges him. It's come to our attention that you may be thinking of pursuing a less than entirely professional angle with Harry."

His eyes went wide. It didn't matter what I said next. He was filling in all the blanks. The 'benefactor', how this mysterious group came to the conclusion that he was interested in Harry, what their resources were, all of it. The best lies were the ones you didn't have to tell.

"I wouldn't- no! Never! I didn't know. I was just trying to be _nice_. He's a kid on his own and-"

"Not on his own. Which is rather the point. He likes it here, so he'll be staying until he doesn't want to anymore. But for the benefit of everyone involved, I think it'd be best if everyone kept it professional. Don't you?"

"Yes. Yes. Definitely. Absolutely professional. No question."

"Excellent." I rose and flicked the light off. "Maybe you want to think about giving him a chance to work outside the office? Get into the business a little more. Might be healthier for both of you."

II.

Lieutenant Murphy and my brother danced around each other for years and nothing ever happened. First because she didn't trust him and then because they wanted different things. He wanted commitment and she wanted something easy. But they both wanted it with each other. So I kept an eye on things.

Right after the thing with Mavra, when Harry was down, his hand wrapped and him pale and weak on the couch, I saw Murphy's face. The fear of losing him was cutting through her aversion to deep emotions and lifelong commitment. She was crumbling. Dammit.

I ran into Kincaid getting coffee outside his hotel.

"Vampire."

"Hellhound."

"I hear you've moved into Dresden's place."

"Mm."

"To what do I owe this 'coincidental' meeting?" His eyes were hard, and I knew his hands were resting near unseen weapons that could kill me before I could move.

"Harry's paid you and you're moving on, right?"

"Right."

"Before you go, I want to hire you for a job."

"What's the job?" I glanced around. Harry should still be passed out from the pain killers I'd slipped him, but you never could tell. He had the worst tendency to show up when he shouldn't.

"I want you to take Lt. Murphy out." His eyebrows shot up.

"That's a little bit of overkill, don't you think?"

"Not like _that_. On a date. Date her. Have a good time. Get her into bed. Make her forget about Harry for a little while." Kincaid's face settled into a pleased smile.

"You want to pay me. To have sex with an attractive woman."

"Yes." He scribbled something on one of the napkins and slid it over to me.

"That's the price. And my account number. Once I've been paid, I'll deal with Lt. Murphy. Thoroughly." Kincaid took his coffee and walked off, deep laughter startling the other patrons.

~

There was a note taped to the front door three days later. I knew Kincaid had left town, but that didn't matter. It was from him.

A plain white envelope addressed to 'The Vampire'. Inside was an index card sized piece of paper. It was blank except for one line: 'I'd already asked her out.' Son of a bitch.

III.

Mouse's head came up and he stared at the door. He'd hit a growth spurt and was about the size of a young German Shepherd, but still with the awkward leg to paw ratio of a growing puppy. Harry was going to need a bigger apartment if the dog kept growing.

"Back again, are they?"

Mouse whined and walked over to the table where Harry kept his lead.

"Sorry boy. I'll deal with this one on my own. Thanks though." He eyed me, then huffed and settled down right next to the door.

I forced the door open and slipped out. Nothing on earth would make getting out of Harry's apartment stealthy, so they knew I was coming. The dark sedan slid to a stop right in front of the sidewalk. If it hadn't been the middle of the night they'd have blocked traffic. Not that I thought that would stop him.

"Mr. Raith." Marcone stepped out of the back seat, followed closely by his other half.

"Marcone. It's a little late for a business call."

"I had no intention of stopping, I assure you. But when Mr. Hendricks saw you coming out, we were concerned."

"Yeah. You've been 'concerned' in the neighborhood every night for two weeks. It's more than a little stalker-y. In case you didn't know."

"Coincidence, I assure you." Cool as ice, this one. Not like I could scare him off or bribe him. Might be able to pay Kincaid to kill him, only Kincaid couldn't stop laughing at me any time we saw one another.

"Uh-huh. Well, coincidence better stop happening. Harry and I," I laid a subtle emphasis on the pairing, "are tired of finding mafia goons shadowing us."

"Really?" A little surprise there, but he squashed it quickly. "I was unaware that your friendship was so...close."

"Yeah. Well, we're not exactly advertising, know what I mean? But it is. So back off." He nodded, short. But I could see the corners of his eyes tighten up.

"For now." I could hear everything he wasn't saying in his tone. That I was flighty. A pretty boy. Not good enough. Not going to keep Harry's interest for the long haul.

"Don't hold your breath, Marcone. I'm here to stay."

IV.

"No." I slammed the door shut in Kincaid's face. Of course, that didn't stop him. If we'd been at Harry's apartment it would have been enough, but Harry's office door was much flimsier. He stuck one hand out and caught the door, stopping it cold before I could crush his fingers between it and the door frame.

"You didn't even let me give you the message."

"I don't care. If you want to get a message to Harry, call and leave one with the answering service. He's not in. Now go away."

"I'll just wait then. I've got the week off. Time to kill, all that." I let the door sag open and looked the question at him. "Honest." He held up his hands, empty and innocent. Hah.

"You can't wait in here."

"Harry and I have an excellent working relationship, you know. This grudge you're carrying is childish. Really." Kincaid stepped past me and into the tiny office.

"You're a mercenary asshole, Kincaid. I can't imagine why I don't want you around Harry."

"Neither can I." He leaned over, just close enough for it to be clear and uncomfortable as he drew in a deep breath. "Though I have some idea." He stood back up. "You moved out. I assumed it was over between the two of you. No reason for me not to make nice." The pulse in my temple started to throb.

"There will be no making nice, Kincaid! None. He doesn't need the shit that dating you even once would bring down on his head."

"I could hardly make people angrier at him than he does himself. You can leave now. I'll be fine here on my own." Smirk.

I growled, then took the few steps across the room to him and grabbed his arm, tapping into the demon a little. The air went cold and his skin beneath my hand was vibrantly warm and alive, attractive in a way that was more than physical.

Kincaid tilted his head forward, leaning down to me and his breath puffed against my cheek.

~

Harry was pissed that I'd managed to trash his office in one afternoon. I promised to buy him a new desk. That crack down the middle didn't look good at all.

I had other things to think about.

Like how, as he had tugged his shirt back on and picked up his jacket, Kincaid had grinned down at me and said, "You know that vampire shit doesn't work on me, right?"

V.

Harry made it too easy. He brought his little PI friend, Vince or Vance or whatever into the shop.

Lance stood a little too close, asked a few too many questions. Smiled too much. Until he smiled, he was nothing special. Once he put some personality in, the girls all started whispering. Eyes flicked from the pair of them to me and back. It didn't even take vampire hearing to know what was being said.

Best to nip all that right in the bud.

I walked over to them, ignored Harry's attempt at introductions, and pulled Harry down into a kiss.

I could hear him spluttering and fuming even as he turned bright red. When I released him, he took two very large steps back and opened his mouth to yell. Then he remembered where he was and what my 'cover' was, and shut it again.

Vinnie's eyebrows were somewhere in his hairline and I could see him recalculating what he'd thought he'd known.

"Harry," I drawled in my terrible French accent, "I will see you later, for dinner, yes? So nice of you to bring your little work-friend." The chatter in the room grew louder, then dropped as I moved back to my station.

Behind me, I could hear Harry trying to figure out what to say to Victor.

+1

Harry'd been blowing me off lately. A lot of, 'Busy's' and 'Accord business' or 'Knight stuff'. I suspected he was trying to be sneaky, which was not his best thing.

So one night when he'd blown me off for dinner for the fourth time that week for 'Accord stuff', I broke into his apartment. Only it wasn't really breaking, since I had the key and the charm for the new place and all.

I made it about two steps past the front door and into the hall when something hit me like a battering ram and slammed me to the floor.

"Wait! Wait! Shit. It's okay." Harry. Harry wasn't supposed to be home. When the birdies stopped circling in my vision I looked up to see my brother glaring down at me, hair mussed, shirtless, with the world's best hicky forming on his chest. Beside him loomed a huge man, similarly disheveled. His one blue eye seemed to be glowing in the half-light of the hallway.

"Thomas? What the hell?"

"I was-" I coughed. Something smelled like it was burning, faintly. "What the hell just happened?"

"Um...you snuck into my apartment and got hit with lightning?"

"He'll be fine. It was just a little bolt."

"Yeah. Great. You know this place is warded, right? Nothing's getting in without permission?"

"Never hurts to be careful. Your enemies are more clever than you think."

"Thomas?"

"Who's the-" Harry grabbed my arm and started hauling me into a sitting position.

"Eh. Um. Thomas, this is Donar. Donar, this is Thomas."


End file.
